Need help with picking my first gun (1911).

This is probably one of many similar posts already on the forums but Iím horrible at searching forums and unfortunately donít have much time or knowledge about guns to do my own research.

Iíve been going to shooting ranges for a few years now but very rarely (5 times a year the most). I have shot many different handguns and I think itís time for me to buy my first ever gun. As I previously said Iíve tried a lot of different types and the 1911 seems to bond with me the most. It feels comfortable in my hand, Iím very accurate with it, I like the way it looks, I havenít had any problems with it so far. I have tried 1911 from only 3 manufacturers (Colt, S&W and Kimber), honestly I didnít see much of a difference between them although I didnít spend much time with them since I was only using them at the range for rent. Also I had no idea up until I decided to buy my own that each manufacturer had soooo many different types of 1911s!

I am a lefty and want my gun to be for a left handed person. Iím looking to buy a brand new 1911 0.45 ACP caliber which I can eventually upgrade part by part (grips, sights, safety locks, trigger or whatever else gets into my mind). As of right now I want the barrel around 5ď but not too sure yet.
The price range without any upgrades is between $1,000 and $1,700 (not too strict on the range but I feel this amount will get me what I want)
I have no intention of carrying this gun anywhere except for in the trunk of my car when I go to the range. And I just want to get very familiar with this gun in case I ever need to use it for self defense.

So here are my questions/concerns (I have already read the sticky 1911 Buyerís Ref. Guide so some of my questions are from there too):

1) Which brands should I be looking at for my price range and assuming I will eventually upgrade parts? (S&W was the least favorite out of the 3 Iíve shot)
2) Size- as I understand the bigger the better? Factors being: Reliability,Accuracy,Ballistics performance.
3) Magazine- not too concerned with the amount of rounds it will hold but is it generally recommended to upgrade it anyways?
4) Guide rods and Spring guides- Iím totally lost here and not too sure what I need to know about them
5) Weight- I think itís irrelevant if Iím not carrying?
6) Out of the brands which model in particular and why?
7) Material- Stainless Steel or Carbon Steel. Is it only for looks or does it actually make any difference? And does it generally affect the price much?
8) Conversion for a lefty- Does it come ready for me from a factory and if so will it cost extra and how much?

If some or all of my questions are too ďnoobishĒ please point me in the right direction and give some helpful links.

My Opinion

1) Out of your 3 brands I choose Colt (the original this is one of the reasons I like my Colt best) then S&W
2) 5in would do great for what you want and if you decide to get into ccw it isn't that bad to carry
3) I'm in favor of the 8rd Wilson Combat mags
4) I like the regular spring guides, if you want more weight for muzzle control get a full length
5) true here. and really with a good holster a full steel 1911 isn't all that bad
6) I got some models below that all have ambi safeties already so less upgrading for you
7) no opinion either way on this. I heard the carbon is stronger and the stainless is more rustproof and prettier
8) If you want a full lefty gun it will cost you, all of the models I found have ambi safeties

Re: Need help with picking my first gun (1911).

A SA milspec is also a good place to start. Gives you a platform to customize for the features you want later. That's where I started many years ago. Never customized it because I like it as is. Just ended up buying higher end 1911's.

Since you're not going to carry it,the GC and SCG have adjustable sights and is a plus.On any of those 3 changing sights is a waste of money unless you are going to carry it.Being a lefty,the SCG comes with an ambi thumb safety,so that's a plus.If you need an ambi safety to upgrade or replace one,Wilson Combat makes the best around now,it's called Bulletproof and is very strong to prevent the old issues with ambies.Unfortunately it is quite expensive.

I think the SCG is your best bet to save money for grips,etc.The one drawback to Colt's adjustable sight (if it's the same as the usual GC) is eventually the pin will walk out of the rear sight,but it's easily fixed by replacing it with a drill rod pretty cheap.

Since you're not going to carry it,the GC and SCG have adjustable sights and is a plus.On any of those 3 changing sights is a waste of money unless you are going to carry it.Being a lefty,the SCG comes with an ambi thumb safety,so that's a plus.If you need an ambi safety to upgrade or replace one,Wilson Combat makes the best around now,it's called Bulletproof and is very strong to prevent the old issues with ambies.Unfortunately it is quite expensive.

I think the SCG is your best bet to save money for grips,etc.The one drawback to Colt's adjustable sight (if it's the same as the usual GC) is eventually the pin will walk out of the rear sight,but it's easily fixed by replacing it with a drill rod pretty cheap.

Thanks! Do you know what kind of spring is in the 3 guns I mentioned? And from what I understand SCG has the "match" barrel which the other guns dont + its from the colt custom shop?

The Springs will be 16lb springs standard to the Gov't model,but the GC will come with a 12lb spring for light loads since it is intended as a target pistol.The guide rods are all most likely the short standard,but I can't say for sure since I've been away from the newer models a while.There's a long standing debate on short vs. long guide rods,I have run them in competition but I use the short most of the time.

I think the SCG is a normal production model,like the GC or older Combat Elite,they just don't make as many as the XSE Gov't and Commanders.The "match" barrel is kind of a misnomer,it's basically the same as the rest but the chambers are cut with a little more care.A real match barrel is oversized for hand fitting and the chambers are normally short chambered,that means they need a finish reaming but most will shoot as is depending on the spec of the ammo.The GC should also have the match barrel but may not say it.

Any of the 3 will serve you well but the GC and SCG are set up closer to your needs,and usually have a little more attention paid to them as far as tolerances and being sloppy in assembly.

The Springs will be 16lb springs standard to the Gov't model,but the GC will come with a 12lb spring for light loads since it is intended as a target pistol.The guide rods are all most likely the short standard,but I can't say for sure since I've been away from the newer models a while.There's a long standing debate on short vs. long guide rods,I have run them in competition but I use the short most of the time.

I think the SCG is a normal production model,like the GC or older Combat Elite,they just don't make as many as the XSE Gov't and Commanders.The "match" barrel is kind of a misnomer,it's basically the same as the rest but the chambers are cut with a little more care.A real match barrel is oversized for hand fitting and the chambers are normally short chambered,that means they need a finish reaming but most will shoot as is depending on the spec of the ammo.The GC should also have the match barrel but may not say it.

Any of the 3 will serve you well but the GC and SCG are set up closer to your needs,and usually have a little more attention paid to them as far as tolerances and being sloppy in assembly.

Thanks a lot! I'm still gonna think about it and try to find some ranges where I can rent those guns but so far I will probably end up buying SCG.